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Young talent holds the key to growth
06th February 2009. Posted by Ruth Ward. Trackback
Photo by Daniel Imfeld
As the global economy faces an unprecedented downturn and unemployment in Britain reaches its highest level in over 10 years, I can’t help but wonder what the future holds for the thousands of graduates preparing to leave our city’s colleges and universities in the year ahead.
When I graduated from the University of Birmingham eight years ago, there was a real mood of optimism. Developments like Brindleyplace and The ICC had started to transform our city, with Mailbox and Bullring grabbing the headlines shortly after.
Getting a good job after graduation wasn’t a given, but the thought of not getting one at all didn’t enter our minds, as my group of friends parted company to start work across the UK and abroad.
Today, Birmingham has the biggest concentration of professional services firms outside London – and our creative industries have enjoyed huge growth, making a significant contribution to both our region’s economy and quality of life.
Over the past decade, thousands of graduates have played a vital role in helping our city to develop as a serious business centre. One of the biggest challenges we now face is how Birmingham can sustain its position during this period of uncertainty.
With a growing number of local companies announcing job cuts, and many others tightening their belts, the number of new openings and graduate positions are unlikely to be kept at the levels we have seen in recent years.
However, by supporting work experience placements, apprenticeships and mentoring schemes, employers can continue to help the business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future to develop the vital, real-world skills that they will increasingly need to secure a position on the career ladder.
In return, firms will benefit enormously from the fresh ideas, enthusiasm and new perspectives that young talent can bring to their businesses, and hopefully our city can continue to retain the key skills that it needs to sustain its growth.
I’m really pleased to welcome Dominika to the Rewired team today. An MA student in Media Enterprise at Birmingham City University, Dominika is working with us two days a week to gain experience in PR and marketing, and support us during a particularly busy period. I have no doubt that this placement will be hugely beneficial for all of us.
Look out for Dominika’s blog posts over the coming weeks as she gives an insider’s view of life at Rewired, and don’t forget to say hi!